Trade & FA 2024-25:

[KillerLeft]

If there is any thought for defense, then you can't have a Sexton/Kyrie backcourt.

I agree, but this is a GM and HC who seem to believe having a good defense = having a bigger front court than the other team. 

That's possibly the scariest part of this. It's like they're stuck in the early 2000's.

[Smitty]

I agree, but this is a GM and HC who seem to believe having a good defense = having a bigger front court than the other team. 

That's possibly the scariest part of this. It's like they're stuck in the early 2000's.

We're living in a simulation.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I agree, but this is a GM and HC who seem to believe having a good defense = having a bigger front court than the other team. 

That's possibly the scariest part of this. It's like they're stuck in the early 2000's.

Minnesota tried it with KAT and Gobert, but they broke it up because of KAT's future contract concerns (like Luka) We've yet to see OKC with Hartenstein and Holmgren until Chet returns. Cleveland is the only team that seems to have made it work so far. Maybe the Mavs are going to try to replicate themselves after them.

[KillerLeft]

Minnesota tried it with KAT and Gobert, but they broke it up because of KAT's future contract concerns (like Luka) We've yet to see OKC with Hartenstein and Holmgren until Chet returns.  Cleveland is the only team that seems to have made it work so far. Maybe the Mavs are going to try to model themselves after them.

Agreed, except...Mobley is not who Davis is anymore in terms of mobility, and we haven't actually seen the Cleveland thing in the playoffs yet. 

I kind of doubt the OKC model is going to be attempted the way many fans assume. I think Hartenstein was brought in to be the backup 5, basically. I think that team is much, much too smart to try to play those guys together too much. 

Minnesota is a fair comparison, I think, only it had a better chance of working on offense than this does because KAT was a great shooter. And, for the record, I never thought that was a good way to build the Wolves, not for one second. Never did I have even a modicum of fear over facing that team in a playoff series. This Dallas front line will prove equally ineffective in the games that matter, should the team even reach those games. Davis is a 5 in the NBA to me.

[msf4717]

Agreed, except...Mobley is not who Davis is anymore in terms of mobility, and we haven't actually seen the Cleveland thing in the playoffs yet. 

I kind of doubt the OKC model is going to be attempted the way many fans assume. I think Hartenstein was brought in to be the backup 5, basically. I think that team is much, much too smart to try to play those guys together too much. 

Minnesota is a fair comparison, I think, only it had a better chance of working on offense than this does because KAT was a great shooter. And, for the record, I never thought that was a good way to build the Wolves, not for one second. Never did I have even a modicum of fear over facing that team in a playoff series. This Dallas front line will prove equally ineffective in the games that matter, should the team even reach those games. Davis is a 5 in the NBA to me.

I think the OKC model is a bit of a dart throw out of necessity, that succeeded.  Draft capital is fun to dream about, but very few draft picks are ever true difference makers in the NBA. 

The magic ingredient was getting Shai in the trade before his ceiling was recognized.  The NBA is a superstar league and if you do not have one, competing at a high level is not possible.

Utah will be an interesting comparison to watch, with their massive draft capital over the next few years.  They can use 20 first round picks, but if Utah has poor luck in the lottery and all they can collect is a variety of decent rotational and bench players, all those picks will functionally be for naught.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Agreed, except...Mobley is not who Davis is anymore in terms of mobility, and we haven't actually seen the Cleveland thing in the playoffs yet. 

I kind of doubt the OKC model is going to be attempted the way many fans assume. I think Hartenstein was brought in to be the backup 5, basically. I think that team is much, much too smart to try to play those guys together too much. 

Minnesota is a fair comparison, I think, only it had a better chance of working on offense than this does because KAT was a great shooter. And, for the record, I never thought that was a good way to build the Wolves, not for one second. Never did I have even a modicum of fear over facing that team in a playoff series. This Dallas front line will prove equally ineffective in the games that matter, should the team even reach those games. Davis is a 5 in the NBA to me.

I do not quite understand what you mean by Mobley is not who Davis is anymore in terms of mobility. Davis may be bigger with a thicker frame, but Mobley is just 23 and has made huge strides this year.  Atkinson has turned him loose within the offense, and his confidence has grown.  He even allows him to bring the ball upcourt and initiate plays.

[SleepingHero]

@All_Things_Mavs
The Mavericks are not pursuing Jimmy Butler or Kevin Durant, according to Jake in the article below. But they are continuing to canvas the league for other upgrades following the addition of Anthony Davis.

[BigDirk41]

I do not quite understand what you mean by Mobley is not who Davis is anymore in terms of mobility. Davis may be bigger with a thicker frame, but Mobley is just 23 and has made huge strides this year.  Atkinson has turned him loose within the offense, and his confidence has grown.  He even allows him to bring the ball upcourt and initiate plays.

AD doesn't move like he used to. He's much less mobile than when they won the bubble title.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

AD doesn't move like he used to. He's much less mobile than when they won the bubble title.

That's obvious. Maybe I misinterpreted what he was saying. Thanks..

[mvossman]

That's obvious. Maybe I misinterpreted what he was saying. Thanks..

Yeah.  I think he worded it strangely but meant that AD is no Mobley from a mobility standpoint.

[Smitty]

@All_Things_Mavs
The Mavericks are not pursuing Jimmy Butler or Kevin Durant, according to Jake in the article below. But they are continuing to canvas the league for other upgrades following the addition of Anthony Davis.

Short list of names that I've considered as targets:

LaMelo Ball
Deni Avdija
Brandon Ingram
Collin Sexton
Herbert Jones
Josh Giddey

[KillerLeft]

I do not quite understand what you mean by Mobley is not who Davis is anymore in terms of mobility. Davis may be bigger with a thicker frame, but Mobley is just 23 and has made huge strides this year.  Atkinson has turned him loose within the offense, and his confidence has grown.  He even allows him to bring the ball upcourt and initiate plays.

I am saying he's still mobile enough to get out to the perimeter in defensive rotation, making the two-big model viable. That's specifically BECAUSE he's "just 23," probably. Size is hurtful to your defense, when you have two much of that and not enough speed, quickness and change of direction. This is why Kleber can't play the 4, why KAT can't play the 4 and why everyone but Anthony Davis has been saying HE'S a 5. 

With modern spacing, two-bigs is the easiest way to ensure your defense won't work against good teams in the playoffs, just like we saw with Minnesota.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

[Fischer] The Suns are listening to offers on Kevin Durant and Durant is aware of this. Golden State has been the most active in the pursuit of Durant with Phoenix holding interest in Kuminga. Golden State’s ideal plan? Bringing both LeBron and Durant to the Bay Area to play alongside Curry.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Evan Mobley and Jalen Williams are two of the guys I would've targeted in a Luka trade, but I think both those teams want to see what they have and play it out this season.

[Jym]

I am saying he's still mobile enough to get out to the perimeter in defensive rotation, making the two-big model viable. That's specifically BECAUSE he's "just 23," probably. Size is hurtful to your defense, when you have two much of that and not enough speed, quickness and change of direction. This is why Kleber can't play the 4, why KAT can't play the 4 and why everyone but Anthony Davis has been saying HE'S a 5. 

With modern spacing, two-bigs is the easiest way to ensure your defense won't work against good teams in the playoffs, just like we saw with Minnesota.

Yeah with 2 bigs and Kyrie, I don't think you can be elite defensively in the modern NBA

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

I love Steph. I would love to see him get a chance to compete nearing the end of his career unlike what happened with Dirk.

We almost need a separate trade thread for Mavs moves and rest of NBA.

[SleepingHero]

@esidery
The Warriors have been aggressive in their trade pursuit of Kevin Durant, per
@Gambo987.

Phoenix remains reluctant to move Durant as they try to hopefully finish off a trade for Jimmy Butler this week.

[SleepingHero]

[Fischer] The Suns are listening to offers on Kevin Durant and Durant is aware of this. Golden State has been the most active in the pursuit of Durant with Phoenix holding interest in Kuminga. Golden State’s ideal plan? Bringing both LeBron and Durant to the Bay Area to play alongside Curry.

How the hell can we get in on these sweepstakes. 

AD+KD is worth Luka, even at their ages.

[SleepingHero]

@TheDunkCentral
Bradley Beal reportedly prefers to stay in Phoenix and not uproot his family, per
@JakeLFischer


“The unrelenting word continues to be that Beal has no desire to bless a trade pretty much anywhere and prefers to remain in Phoenix, where his family has been settling after finally leaving the nation's capital.”

[BigDirk41]

How the hell can we get in on these sweepstakes. 

AD+KD is worth Luka, even at their ages.

I would empty the treasure chest for KD and just go all in because that's all this team can do at the moment. There is no future. What can we offer for KD that will entice them? Do we have three numbers 1 to trade now?